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Friday, February 24, 2012

After weeks of teasing, it's finally here! I present to you, dear readers, the first collection of Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms comics: FORK IN THE ROAD: The Crazy Collection Volume 1! I can't even begin to tell y'all how excited I am to finally be putting this out! A lot of work went into making this book happen, but the end result was worth it! A lot of credit goes out to the geniuses over at Ego ID Media in San Diego. Those dudes are miracle workers and did a fantastic job! The book will debut at Wondercon in Anaheim in just three weeks! So be sure to make your way down Artist Alley and get a copy before they sell out!

And just to entice you even more, here a couple of sneak peeks inside the book...

A lot new art is in the book!

And every page is glossy! So these books are durable!

Well, I hope everybody likes what they see thus far. It's gonna be a limited run at Wondercon folks, so be sure to get your copies quick! I'll even do a free sketch for every purchase!

Well, I'm still in a state of euphoria right now, so I'm gonna jump to something completely different; FRANK ZAPPA!!!

There's much to be said about this man, but a mere blog post wouldn't do him any justice. I will say this though: Zappa was amazing! He mastered over 20 musical instruments by the time he was 22, composed complete, four-part symphonies and coined the term "Valley Girl," which went on to become his most popular song, although most Zappa purists would consider I am the Slime to be his signature song. Frank Zappa belonged to no single genre. He did everything from rock and jazz to blues and classical. He also had one of the highest IQ's ever recorded, so when people call him a genius, they aren't just singing his praises. Zappa left a huge impression on me. Hell, he made an impression on a lot of artists, musicians and filmmakers. He set trends and dared to experiment, a quality that is sorrily lacking in today's music. For some of you younger readers who've never heard of Frank Zappa, I encourage you seek out his music and give it a try. It's weird, but in a good way.

Well, it's about that time. But before I go, I'd like to take a moment to thank a couple of people for plugging my site recently: Batton Lash and Matt Gross. Batton, as a lot of you already know, does the great comic Supernatural Law, and was kind enough to take some time and talk with me the other day. His site can be found here, and Batton will also be at Wondercon this year, so be sure to go say high to him! Matt Gross is the cartoonist behind CAAATS!, a very funny, sweet and charming comic about two goofy but lovable cats. His strip recently celebrated its first anniversary, so I did a little piece to honor those crazy cats. His site can be found here, and I highly recommend y'all check it out.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a "colorful" new Mike and Mindy and a new Mushrooms that's just "bursting" with laughs! In the meantime, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Hey folks! Just a small post today. Wondercon's just under a month away here, so I'm trying to get everything taken care of now while I still have a little bit of free time. The book will be coming out very soon, and I should have the cover art by next week or sooner! A lot of work went into putting this collected volume together, and I'm itching to finally release it! Of course, now that I'm done with the first book, I gotta get started on the second book! It's an endless cycle I tell ya!

Anyway, a beloved classic came on TV last night: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This movie has been a lifelong favorite of mine, but I've always scratched my head at certain parts of the film, mainly that the guests of the factory keep walking into obvious traps, and quite willingly no less! Well, apparently I'm not the only one confused by these actions, as the good folks over at How It Should Have Ended produced this piece to help make sense of things...

Ya know? This is just me, but I probably would've said "SCREW THIS" and left right after Augustus went up the pipe. It's actually a bit troubling that Wonka would want to hand over his house of horrors to a small child. Do you honestly think a kid can be trusted with candy that can turn people into a giant blueberries! Although I must admit, the blueberry candy would probably be a good bully deterrent.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some kind of fun. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Hey folks! It's been a busy couple weeks here at the Crazyverse! The final touches are being put on the book, and I hope to have a teaser up by next week! I've also been working like crazy this week, with the highlight being a dolly grip for an awards show that's being broadcast on PBS. The show hasn't aired yet, so I don't know how many shots I'll actually appear in, if any, but I had a blast working it, especially when I ran into my former teacher at SDSU, Don Johnson. Prof. Johnson taught Intro to Television Production and was in fact the first teacher I had at State. So it was cool to see him again and show him that his lessons did lead me somewhere. Let that be a lesson kids: COLLEGE IS IMPORTANT!

Well, it's Wrestling Week here at the 'Stuff, and to celebrate, I dug up another polished turd courtesy World Championship Wrestling! Enjoy...

Brad Armstrong was born into wrestling royalty, being the son of "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, a legend of the southeastern wrestling scene back in the territory days. Brad, along with his brothers Scott, Steve and Brian, eventually followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a wrestler himself. While not much of a talker, Brad was a great in ring performer who held his own against many greats, including Ric Flair and Harley Race. In the dying days of the territory system, Brad had found a lot of success as the remaining NWA territories were bought out by Jim Crocket, eventually becoming WCW. As the new company emerged, Brad seemed like a natural fit for the upper midcard. Sadly, this is WCW we're talking about here, and at this point in time (1991), their M.O. was "Copy whatever the WWF is doing and quick!" In those days, the WWF was doing brisk business in the children's market, and WCW, on numerous occasions, tried to follow suit, often failing miserably. After a short run as a masked wrestler named "Badstreet" Brad Armstrong was repackaged as a web-slinging super hero sure to please the kids: ARACHNAMAN!

Yep, you read that right. You see, kids like comic books, so WCW thought that a wrestler based on Spiderman would have mass appeal. So they dressed poor Brad Armstrong up in a knock off Spiderman costume and hoped for the best. All fine and dandy except for one thing: Marvel Comics was not amused! They threatened to sue, and WCW caved in quick. Sadly, this would not be the last crap gimmick that Brad Armstrong would have to endure. Still, someone at WCW must've liked him, because he remained with the company until the very end. As for the other Armstrong brothers, Scott and Steve had even less luck, as they were primarily used as jobbers or "enhancement talent" on WCW Saturday Night. Brian Armstrong wasn't particularly gifted in the ring, but was capable of having decent matches. He was also a hell of a talker and had a ton of charisma. He went on to a stellar career in the WWF as the "Road Dogg" Jessie James. He recently returned to WWE as a road agent, working backstage.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with some form of wackiness I'm sure. In the meantime, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Can it really be? Have I really been doing this for two years now? Time sure does fly doesn't it? Yep, this week marks the second anniversary of the launching of Jon's Crazy Stuff, an event that came about after the sad realization that I'd never get into MAD and there were no other options out there for a funny cartoonist like myself. So sit back while I clean off all this make up (Those kids are gonna pay for that!) and enjoy some comics, plus a couple more Super Bowl ads! Enjoy...

Truth be told, this one feels a little bit unfinished to me. Looking back, I think I should have added another panel, one that has Mindy landing. Still, I think the expressions work well, and I'm stoked that I finally got to throw in a monster! I haven't put a monster in a story in a year, and I love drawing monsters! I'm making a late New Year's resolution: DRAW MORE MONSTERS!

And now, another serving of Mushrooms, courtesy of my failed attempt at the getting syndicated!

Once again, you'll see that this month's installment is in a strip format. I really thought that these were some of my best stories, but the people at the Union-Tribune thought different. I'm not really sweating it. Better opportunities are presenting themselves, and let's face it; newspaper syndication ain't what it used to be. Especially when there are only a handful of newspapers left in the country!

And now, in honor of this site's second anniversary, here are some more Frequently Asked Questions...

Q: What's the deal with Mike and Mindy? I mean, what exactly is their relationship?

A: They're both friends and rivals, if that makes any sense. Kids tend to be mean when they have a crush, mainly because they don't know how to express themselves emotionally. In a cartoon sense, it makes for some great story opportunities!

Q:What about the Mushrooms? Why are they just now being called Mushrooms?

A: What's with all these double questions? Oh well. The reason all of my previous Mushrooms entries had generic titles was because my original goal was to sell them to humor publications. Unfortunately, MAD Magazine is all that's left, and they weren't interested. When it came time for the U-T contest, I felt the time was right to finally give Mushrooms its proper title. While I'm on the subject, there will be times when another title is used, such as my Cheap Puns and Bad and Worse series.

Q: How come Mike and Mindy never talk?

A: It's actually coincidence. I was about three months into it when I realized that they'd yet to say a word. I decided then to see how long I can keep it up and so far, so good. Although I do admit, their silence does limit me story-wise sometimes.

Q: Will Mike and Mindy ever talk?

A: Maybe! I'm not opposed to it. I do feel the situation would have to be right. For now, I think they are much funnier wreaking silent havoc. And it's not like they're totally silent. I do use sound effects in their adventures!

Q: You're thoughts on WWE and TNA are well known by this point. What do you think of Ring of Honor (ROH)?

A: I like ROH! I don't get HDNET out here, so my ROH viewing is limited to what the internet has to offer. And I like everything I've seen thus far. What I like about ROH is that they're like a less violent version of the original ECW. They don't want to be number one or put anybody out of business. They simply want to exist and put on great shows. Plus, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan both started out there, so it's a breeding ground for greatness!

Q: You teased merchandising not too long ago. Will there ever be Mike and Mindy merchandise?

A: It is a dream, but that's all at the moment. I would love to see them on as many items as possible. Especially these PVC figures that have been getting pretty popular in recent years. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed!

Q: Did you always want to be a cartoonist?

A: Actually no. Up until I was 17, I wanted to be a pro wrestler! As goofy as it sounds, I was a big dude, I was quick and agile and I liked fighting. It just seemed like a natural fit. I was even Captain of my team in high school. Unfortunately, I really screwed up my shoulder and my doctor wouldn't clear me for it anymore. Even now some ten years later, my shoulder still pops out every now and again.

Q: So how did you wind up cartooning?

A: That's a really long story. Too long for a simple FAQ session. But don't worry, that tale will be told eventually.

Q: You mentioned on Twitter that you like to listen to music while you work. Who are your favorites?

A: Too many to list here, but typically I'll listen to Steely Dan, Talking Heads and Oingo Boingo. I listen to all sorts of music, but prefer slower stuff while drawing just because it lessons the chances of making mistakes. Trust me, you don't want to listen to Metallica or Rage Against the Machine while doing your inks!

Q: Your a big fan of the movies by the ZAZ team (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker). What's your favorite scene?

A: That's easy! The scene in Airplane! when all the passengers beat up the hysterical lady. No matter how many times I see it, it just keeps getting funnier!

Well, that's all for the FAQ's! Now it's time for one last run of Super Bowl Commercials! Enjoy...

This gem from the WWF came from Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, a game loaded with awesome commercials! And if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, the "Attitude" era was THE greatest time to be a wrestling fan! 'Nough said.

And last but not least, Garmin's entry into the Super Bowl with this awesome ad from 2007 (Super Bowl XLI)...

That's Steve Grimmett doing lead vocals. A lot of people didn't get this tribute the Japanese hero Ultraman. I had to explain it to quite a few friends and relatives afterwards. I still think that this is a pretty cool ad and the song was awesome!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some wrestling fun and more info on my book and hopefully my Wondercon booth. Until then, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

About Me

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Jon Esparza is a cartoonist on a mission. That mission? He'll tell you as soon as he figures it out. In the meantime, he graduated from San Diego State University in 2009 with a BA in Film and currently working as a stagehand for the Local 122. When he isn't drawing or putting on concerts, he is usually watching movies, reading or sleeping.